This application relates to communicating fluid through a groove to cool a blade tip.
Gas turbine engines are known and typically include multiple sections, such as a fan section, a compression section, a combustor section, a turbine section, and an exhaust nozzle section. Blades within the compressor and turbine sections are often mounted for rotation about an axis. The blades have airfoils extending radially from a mounting platform toward a blade tip.
Rotating blades compress air in the compression section. The compressed air mixes with fuel and is combusted in the combustor section. Products of the combustion expand to rotatably drive blades in the turbine section. As known, blades are often exposed to extreme temperatures. Some blades include internal features, such as channels, for routing cooling air. Some blades include external features, such as blade shelves, for routing cooling air.
Referring to prior art FIGS. 1-4, a prior art blade tip 10 includes a blade shelf 14 having a shelf floor 18 that is radially spaced from a sealing surface 22. The blade shelf 14 distributes cooling airflow from holes 26 to some areas of the blade tip 10. The sealing surface 22 contacts another portion of the engine (not shown) to create a seal that facilitates work extraction. As known, regions near a trailing edge 30 of the blade tip 10 experience significant distress over time due to ineffective distribution of cooling airflow from the holes 26 to these regions. In a prior art blade tip 10a, the blade shelf 14a extends to a trailing edge 30a of the blade tip 10a. As known, the blade shelf 14a extending to the trailing edge 30a weakens the blade tip 10a and significantly decreases the sealing surface, which degrades performance of the engine.